Music City Serenade
by Bransch
Summary: Emma Swan doesn't want to be at the Nashville International Airport any longer than she needs to be. Even though the chances are slim, she doesn't want to run into the one that got away, Killian Jones, who currently lives in Nashville. It's too bad her flight is delayed, and that Killian is on the same flight as she is.


_AN: This is a one-shot based on the Captain Swan Fic Exchange Prompt #2  
_ " _Write a CS drabble/ficlet that includes one or all of the following elements: - Airport/Train Station/Bus Station/Travel Hub - A lost shoe - The dialogue, "Do you have any other interesting hobbies I should know about?" "Why did it have to be you?" "Did you just quote [insert movie of your choice]?""_

 _I hope you enjoy what I've done with this prompt. I just watched_ The Dust Storm _, so the thought of Killian living as a musician in Nashville was at the front of my mind._

* * *

Killian sat nervously at the gate, impatient for his flight. What should have been a quick flight to Boston was turning into a nightmare. His flight had just been delayed three hours. At this rate, he'd spend more time in the airport than in Boston. Which was probably for the best. He wouldn't have time to really see anyone other than his brother. And it was no good seeing his friends if he couldn't spend some real time with them. Especially _her._

Killian loved living in Nashville. Music City lived up to its moniker, with musicians from all genres making their living and their homes here. But if he was being honest with himself, he hadn't moved solely to pursue his passion. He'd moved to get away from Emma Swan, his best friend and the women he'd loved in secret for 15 years.

They'd met in high school, when he'd moved to Boston with his brother, Liam. Killian felt an instant bond with Emma. She was an orphan who'd been in foster care most of her life. She'd found a stable situation with the Ruth Nolan and her son, David, but Emma was always afraid that one day she'd be sent back. Killian, having lost his mother early and being abandoned by his father, knew the pain of that kind of rejection. He was lucky to have Liam, but the sting of his father's betrayal always weighed heavily on him.

Emma was beautiful inside and out and he instantly fell in love with her, gawky 15 year-old that he was. For a while he was certain she returned his regard, but they never moved past their friendship. Then, at the beginning of their senior year, she fell for Neal Gold, the son of the man whom, for all intents and purposes, ran their little suburban town outside of Boston. Neal was much older than Emma, but did truly seem to care for her. It all came crashing down at Christmas, however, when Neal left without a word. Killian had been there to help comfort Emma during her heartbreak.

When she found out she was pregnant, he helped her through her panic. She managed to graduate high school before her son was born. Neal could not be located and his father refused to acknowledge the child. Fortunately, Ruth was understanding and helped Emma in the early days. Killian did everything he could to help as well, and truly felt like one day Emma would realize they were meant to be together, and they could all be a family. He loved Henry like the boy was his own.

Despite Liam's protests, Killian put off college, staying in the area and working at the docks, saving up to buy a little house. His music was put aside as he dreamed of a life with Emma. During that time he never thought to confess his feelings to her, which he came to regret the moment she started dating one of the town's deputies. Instead of telling her how he felt, he ran. He moved to Nashville, got a job, and started playing music on the side. Now he only spoke to her occasionally online. He never saw her when he was in Boston.

He wiped his hand down the length of his face and exhaled a long, slow breath. Although the effort would be futile, he stood to approach the service desk and see what his options were for another flight. His guitar wobbled at the motion, and he reached out to steady it. He didn't fancy being encumbered by the instrument as he stood in line, and, as he could see his seat from the line, he decided he would be safe to leave his bags there while he waited.

* * *

Emma rushed down the terminal toward her gate. Her flight from Chicago had been late, due to weather delays, and as they were landing in Nashville, she was informed that her connecting flight was also delayed. She was running to the new gate in the hopes of beating out the other travelers and getting a seat on an earlier flight to Boston. Her latest case had been trying, and she was so ready to be home.

And even though the chance of seeing him at the airport was slim, she didn't want to linger too long in Nashville. She was too afraid of running into him, Killian Jones, her best friend and secret love since their sophomore year of high school. She'd never thought he felt the same way about her, and had long convinced herself that only heartbreak awaited if she were ever to go down that road with him.

When he'd up and moved ten years ago, she'd been hurt, but understood. He was an amazing guitar player and songwriter. He belonged in Nashville. But she missed him so much it hurt. He'd left with hardly a goodbye, and she never saw him during the rare times when he visited his brother. They only ever spoke briefly through social media. Once he'd been the only person she confided in, and now they hardly talked. Seeing him would hurt. She had to get out of this city.

The gate came into view, and she picked up the pace, only to trip and go crashing to the ground. "Damnit!" She pounded her fist on the ground and sat up.

Her first sensation was that the toes on her right foot were much colder than the left. She'd lost a shoe. She looked around to see where it may have gone, and to determine what she had tripped over. Emma dearly hoped another human being was at fault in some way, so there would be a person to yell at.

"Need a hand, love?"

She knew that voice. Standing shakily, she turned and met with a pair of gorgeous blue eyes that were all too familiar.

 _Oh fate, you cruel, cruel bitch_ , Emma thought. "Killian?"

"Hello Swan. Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, something like that."

"Are you alright?"

"I tripped over something and now I can't find my shoe." She glanced at the floor and spotted her black pump, the pointy toe stuck under a black bag that looked like an instrument case. "There it is." She pointed toward the shoe and walked toward it, trying with all her might to avoid looking ridiculous.

"Allow me." He stepped over and picked up both the guitar case and the shoe. He walked back and settled the case at his feet. It was then she noticed the label on the side, which read _K. Jones_.

"That's your guitar? That's what I tripped on?"

He nervously scratched behind his ear. "It would appear so."

She groaned. "Why did it have to be you? I was really hoping to have somebody to rip into for making me trip."

"I apologize, Emma, but I am glad you don't feel compelled to berate me. I did have my guitar standing up. It must have fallen when I stepped away. Allow me to make amends, if I may."

"And how would you do that?"

"I can start by restoring your slingback pump to its rightful place." He kneeled down and picked up her foot, sliding it gently into the shoe.

"Slingback pump? You can't just call it a shoe?"

"Well, I do know a bit about ladies' footwear." He stood and gave her a playful smirk.

"Is that so? Do you have any other interesting hobbies I should know about?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't say it's a hobby. More like knowledge unwillingly gleaned from my ex."

"Your ex? Petra? Did you guys break up?

"Aye. It's not a very interesting story. I can tell you some other time. Can I help you get to your gate?

"This is my gate. Are you flying to Boston too?"

"I am. Quick visit to see Liam."

"So I guess we both have a three hour delay."

"That we do. Should we go grab a pint and catch up? I can tell you all about the situation with Petra."

"Sure, that sounds good."

* * *

Killian couldn't stop himself from staring at Emma as she sat across from him, sipping her beer. What were the odds of them running into one another like this? He'd loved her nearly from the moment he met her and always regretted not telling her. Perhaps this was fate's way of giving him a second chance.

She set her drink down and ran her tongue over her lips, cleaning off the foam gathered there. He suppressed a groan as his mind flooded with the image of her using that tongue to lick something decidedly less innocent. "So," she began pulling him from his reverie, "what happened with Petra?"

"She was just using me. She said she expected me to be much more famous than I currently am, and that there was no way she'd get a movie deal if she continued to date, as she put it, 'a washed up sessions player.'"

"What a bitch."

He cracked a smile. He could laugh at Petra's words now, but at time they'd stung. "I can see it from her perspective, in a way. I came here with thoughts of being a celebrity. I haven't quite made it there."

"Yeah, but you're not washed up either. You've sold, what, like 10 songs? That's pretty good, right? She had no right to mock that."

"How'd you know about my songs?"

Her cheeks blushed a beautiful shade of pink. "I may have been doing some light internet snooping on you."

"Is that so?"

"Give me a break. Stakeouts can get pretty boring at times. So maybe I look you up in the songwriters database from time to time."

"It's good to see you, Swan." He paused to take a another sip of his beer. "So," he began again, "how's Henry?"

"He's great. He's with his dad for the next two weeks."

"Neal? You found him?"

"Yeah, it's a funny story, actually. I was chasing a skip by the name of Neal Cassidy. It didn't even occur to me that it would be him. Neal is not an altogether uncommon name. You can imagine my shock when I caught him."

"What did you do?"

"He asked me to let him go, but all my old frustration came out, so I turned him in and got my payday. But before I did that, I told him about Henry. After his trial, Neal came back to Storybrooke and found us, and he really clicked with Henry. He's made efforts to be a better man. He's changed."

"So you two…" Killian began, unable to finish his sentence.

"Oh, yuck, god no. Never in a million years. He may have come around for Henry, but I don't think I'll ever be able to fully forgive him for what he did to me."

They sat in silence for a few minutes after that, each drinking their beers.

After a moment, he decided to change the subject. "What brings you through Nashville?"

"My flight from Chicago. Nashville is my layover stop." She paused and then met his gaze head-on, leaning over the table. "Why didn't you let anyone know you'd be in town? I'm sure everyone would love to see you."

"I'll only be in town for a few days, just long enough to visit with Liam, and then I have to be back here. I'm playing on Friday. I just assumed it would be easier if I kept a low profile."

"I can understand that, but we all miss you, Killian. I'm sure Liam could share you for a few hours."

"I'll have a chat with my brother. I miss everyone as well, but I like it in Nashville. It feels right."

"You're doing great. I'm really proud of you." She reached across the table and laced her fingers with his. He returned the gesture, grazing her knuckles with his thumbs.

"I miss you more than most, Emma."

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment before she let out a wistful sigh. "It's a shame you'll only be in town for a few days. I just wrapped up a big case and was planning to take a week or so off."

"Without Henry? What will do with yourself?" he teased.

She laughed. "I didn't really make any plans. Just thought it'd be nice to take some time for me while I had the opportunity."

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he couldn't stop himself from vocalizing it. "Maybe you should fly back with me on Thursday," he said, trying to infuse his tone with playfulness. "Have you ever really visited Nashville? You could come to my show, and then we could spend the weekend seeing the sights."

She gave him a shy smile. "I don't know…"

"Do you have a boyfriend in Boston? Last I heard you were dating some furniture salesman?"

"Walsh? No, we broke up. He was too controlling."

"Well, look at that. For the first time in our adult lives we are both unattached. Honestly, Swan, I don't think we'll ever get an opportunity like this again. We should take advantage of it while we can."

Emma firmed her brow, as if she'd just come to a resolution. She stood and moved to the chair immediately to his left. As she settled into the seat, she leaned over and grabbed his hand again. "I have a confession to make."

"Do you?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. When they opened, her green eyes had taken on a steely cast. "I've liked you since we met, and I've missed you so much since you moved. If I come here and spend the weekend with you, I can't do it as just a friend. I want more with you."

Her words left him stunned, but he soon felt his face break out in a wide grin. "Emma Swan, I have wanted more with you since the moment we met. I never told you before, but I was planning to ask you out after Henry was born."

"You were?"

"Yes, but I was afraid of your response. You were still getting over Neal and you were adjusting to being a single mother, so I kept justifying my delay by saying I was giving you more time. But I waited too long, because you started dating Graham."

"And then you moved here…"

"Yeah."

"Killian, I am sorry I never told you how I felt. I just assumed you never saw me as anything more than a friend. And I valued our friendship so much. I didn't want to mess that up."

Her gaze had softened, tears threatening to spill. He reached out and cupped her cheek gently, wiping the tears away with his thumb. Then he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss began slow, a gentle dance of lips and tongue, but very quickly increased in passion. She pulled back, her smile still firmly in place, and rested her forehead against his.

"So, you'll come back with me?" he asked again.

"Yes," she whispered. She closed her eyes, and then, to Killian's surprise, began singing. " _All at once, everything is different. Now that I see you._ "

"Did you just quote _Tangled_?"

"I don't see many movies that aren't animated. You got a problem with _Tangled_?"

He smiled at her once more. "Not at all." He leaned down and captured her lips in another fiery kiss. Now that he had his Swan, he planned to never let her go.


End file.
